Fatah: Moving the embassy will 'explode the region'

Fatah spokesperson warns against relocating the United States embassy to Jerusalem, claims it would affect the entire region.

Ben Ariel, 06/03/17 06:13

Current location of the United States Embassy in Tel Aviv

Flash 90

Fatah spokesperson Ziad Khalil Abu Zayyad on Sunday warned against relocating the United States embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, saying such a would “explode the situation” in the entire Middle East and North Africa region.

Zayyad warned, according to the Ma’an news agency, that Congress “should understand that moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem will not only explode the situation in Palestine but the whole Middle East and North Africa region.”

He then suggested that the congressional delegation consult with its military and political consultants in the State Department, “(who have) stated several times in the past that such actions put American interests and presence in the region in danger.”

Moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in recognition of Jerusalem being Israel’s capital was a central campaign promise of President Donald Trump.

Despite the campaign promises, however, things seem to have stalled. White House press secretary Sean Spicer recently told reporters that no decision has been made yet on the subject.

Trump himself appeared to back down a bit from his campaign pledge, telling the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN)last month that such a move would not be “easy”.

He said a decision on the matter will come “in the not-too-distant future”.